Of the many foreign contenders in Hong Kong's extremely competitive, overbrokered securities, Sheen Ching-jing likes to think of himself as unique.
He is a Taiwanese tycoon who moved into Hong Kong after the Chinese regained sovereignty and after the market had collapsed.
He is a top Taiwanese politician - a member of the Kuomintang's central committee - who plans to make his mark in underwriting listings of the mainland's state companies.
His Core Pacific group bought out the Hong Kong franchise of Japan's bankrupt Yamaichi Securities in January, when the market was at a low ebb. Yet he kept on all the employees and has even added staff and offices.
Yet, he says under Hong Kong law, he cannot be a director of a listed company.
'Because of the conviction,' he says with an unexpected hint of pride.
The conviction Mr Sheen is referring to is a three-year jail sentence he says he received for gang-fighting as a young tough growing up in the streets of Taipei.